Palaniswami lays stone for Dindigul govt med college

TNN | Mar 15, 2020, 04.20 AM IST

Madurai: Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who laid the foundation stone for the Rs 327 crore government medical college in Dindigul, on Saturday took the opportunity to ask the people to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“This virus is said to have spread to 118 countries and we have to take necessary precautions being detailed by the health department through the media and newspapers. Any person with symptoms of cough, fever or breathlessness should report to the nearest hospital,” he said.

Though the government has been discouraging large gatherings and asking people to also avoid unnecessary travel, over 15,000 people gathered at the venue of the government medical college at Adhiyanoothu village panchayat in Odukkam. However, all of them were provided with hand sanitizer and asked to disinfect themselves before entering the venue. Police and other officials wore masks and arrangement was made for health officials to demonstrate how people should wash their hands to remain free of the infection.

Listing out the achievements of the AIADMK government, he said it was their endeavour to excel in all departments of administration. The number of medical seats in Tamil Nadu since Independence up to 2011 was only 1,945. Only as many students could enter the medical education system every year. Late chief minister J Jayalalithaa enhanced it by 885. Last year, his government obtained 350 more seats from the Union government and now 1,650 new seats were to be created in the 11 new medical colleges being established in the districts. The Tamil Nadu government is the only one to have achieved this yeoman task in just one and a half years, he said.

He said 70% of the deliveries in Tamil Nadu happened in government hospitals and 90% of the medical vacancies had been filled in the state. As many as 31,616 vacancies of doctors had also been filled, he said. Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, health minister Dr C Vijaya Baskar, minister Dindigul C Srinivasan, health secretary Dr Beela Rajesh, Dindigul district collector M Vijayalakshmi among others were present.

Honoring Maruthakasi, the legendary Tamil lyricist, in his centenary year

So sang comedian-turned-politician Karunas, the MLA for Thiruvadanai, during a recent session of the State Assembly.

Published: 15th March 2020 05:52 AM 

By K Ezhilarasan

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: Kadavul ennum mudhalali kandedutha thozilali..

Vivasayee!

So sang comedian-turned-politician Karunas, the MLA for Thiruvadanai, during a recent session of the State Assembly. He was praising Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for announcing the Cauvery delta as a protected special agriculture zone. The selection of song could not have been more appropriate as Palaniswami has tried to draw on the legacy of AIADMK founder and filmstar M G Ramachandran and Vivasayee is from a popular MGR film.

The song owes its timelessness — in capturing the lives of farmers and boosting the image of political leaders — to its lyrics, penned by the versatile A Maruthakasi. As his centenary year draws to a close without much fanfare, his verses have gained significance again amidst a political churn, last seen in Tamil Nadu when his associate MGR left the DMK to start the then ADMK. The association was creatively and politically fruitful for both.

MGR’s favourite

Maruthakasi was born on February 13, 1920, in Melakudikadu, a village on the banks of the Kollidam in what is now Ariyalur district. His mother, Milagaayi Ammal, a talented folk singer and father, Ayyamperumal, an agriculturist, had a strong influence on his writing. He started writing lyrics for songs sung in dramas that performed near his village. He got his film break after singer Tiruchy Loganathan performed one of his drama songs at an audition at Salem Modern Theatres. The owner of Modern Theatres, T R Sundaram, intrigued by the lyrics, sent for Maruthakasi to write songs for his films made by him. Thus, he made his debut in Mayavathi in 1949, bringing an authenticity and understanding to lyrics about agriculture rarely seen in film songs before.

One of MGR’s favourite lyricists, he dominated the industry for the three decades. “As far as I know only two Tamil film heroes completely understood the power of songs. One was N S Krishnan and the other one was M G Ramachandran. We have heard of the instances of MGR waiting for months for songs with attractive lyrics in his films,” lyricist Yuga Barathi said. To such a star, the versatile Maruthakasi was invaluable. So much so that when Maruthakasi quit the profession and returned to his village between 1963 and 1967, it was MGR — recovering from a gunshot wound — who ensured his comeback.

“One telling instance of MGR’s fondness towards Maruthakasi is what happened during the filming of Ninaithathai Mudippavan. In the film, MGR played dual roles. He was not satisfied with the lyrics written by Kannadhasan for one song and sent for Maruthakasi. The lyricist gave him the popular Kannai nambathey unnai yemattrum,” Yuga Barathi said.

Versatile writer

“Maruthakasi was gifted with the ability to instantly write for a range of situations and genres. Some lyricists are only comfortable writing love songs while some prefer philosophical songs and others songs of a particular genre. Maruthakasi was an all-rounder,” said lyricist Piraisoodan.For instance, his lullaby song Neelavanna Kanna Vaada was popular. For a cremation scene in the movie Rambaiyin Kadhal, he penned the evergreen – Samarasam ulavum idamey – in which he described the crematorium as a place of equality, where people regardless of caste or class were cremated. In fact, a significant number of Tamil film songs from 1950 to 1960, were written by Maruthakasi. By the time he retired, he had written close to 4,000 songs and worked with some 50 music composers.

People’s language

According to Piraisoodan, before Maruthakasi’s entry into the industry, lyrics were not much understood by common people.“It was Maruthakasi who brought the people’s language into film songs. If you read his lyrics even without music they are clear and meaningful,” he said. It was Maruthakasi who wrote songs for the first colour Tamil movie Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum, starring MGR. Maasila unmai kaadhale marumo selvam vantha pothiley was a hit love song from the film. In another song - Azhagana ponnu than athukketha kannu than - in the same movie, the woman would respond, in the next line, with ‘I have nothing but self-respect’.

Even in love songs, Maruthakasi injected social messages. In the film Aadavantha Deivam there is a song featuring a couple stuck in a hut with a leaky roof amidst a downpour. The lyricist wrote a song for the situation, Sottu sottunu sottuthu paru ingey, in which he compares the drops of rain to the sweat dripping from the forehead of a toiling poor man. In the same song, he compares the downpour to the harsh words used by some wealthy people against the people of the lower classes.“A majority of his songs bear social messages. Similarly, almost all his songs reflect the lives of the common people,” said Maruthabarani, the lyricist’s son.

Son of the soil

As evidenced by Karunas’ performance, Maruthakasi’s songs on agriculture remain popular among the farmers. Another of his famous songs about farmers is Yer munaikku ner inga yethuvume ilai (Nothing in the world is equal to the tip of a plough). Many present-day lyricists express wonder at his turn of phrase and believe none but Maruthakasi could write such songs about farming. “Many confuse some of Maruthakasi’s songs with Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram songs. Given that Kalyanasundaram was known as a leftist, Maruthakasi songs were equally rational and progressive,” Madhukkur Ramalingam, CPM functionary and writer, said.

Admirers cite his song - Manapparai maadukatti Mayavaram yeru pootti - in the Sivaji-starer Makkalai Petra Maharasi, to highlight Maruthakasi’s knowledge of farming. “In this song, he mentions the names of places across Tamil Nadu known for specific farming activities. If you analyse the lyrics, you learn of Manapparai bull, Mayavaram plough, Athur kichadi samba rice, Madurai harvesters, Pollachi market and Virudhunagar traders,” Ramalingam pointed out.“This listing of several places in a song was first attempted by Maruthakasi. Later on, lyricist Vairamuthu tried something similar with Thanjavur mannu eduthu, Thamiraparani thanni vittu,” Ramalingam said.

The Tamil Nadu government nationalized his works in 2007, 18 years after his death.Now, his admirers and family urge the government to install his statue and institute an annual award for best song in his name. Such a gesture in Maruthakasi’s centenary year would lead to future generations not only singing and appreciating his timeless songs but also remembering the name of the man who penned them.

New trend: Drugs come by courier

A 23-yr-old college student was arrested under NDPS for his alleged involvement in the case

Published: 14th March 2020 06:33 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: An innocuous-looking parcel from The Netherlands that claimed to contain wedding cards had blue ‘punisher’ pills, a mega-dose Ecstasy pills which is apparently three times stronger than most others pills used in rave parties. Addressed to a person in Mysuru, Postal Intelligence officers of Air Customs detained the parcel at Foreign Post Office at Meenambakkam after they found it contained some blue-coloured tablets.

Chennai Air Customs Commissioner Rajan Chaudhary said the tablets were tested with narcotics testing kit and it was found to be methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), a narcotic substance.“We found 384 gm of tablets suspected to be MDMA, valued at Rs 30 lakh, and they were seized under NDPS Act 1985,” he said, adding it is one of the major seizures by customs in recent times.

He also said searches were carried out at Mysuru address of the consignee. “The 23-year-old youth, who is a graduate of JSS Science and Technology University in Mysuru was arrested under NDPS for his alleged involvement in the case. He is said to have told officials that the pills are in high demand in parties held frequently in Bengaluru and Mysuru,” said Chaudhary.

Ecstasy and Molly, a party drug that alters mood and perception are chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens and produce feelings of increased energy and pleasure. The seized blue tablets are known blue ‘punisher pills’ bearing skull mark and contain 250-300 mg of MDMA which is a high dosage. This pill has caused numerous deaths in the UK, the commissioner said.

A narcotic substance

The tablets were tested with narcotics testing kit and it was found to be a narcotic substance, one of the major seizures by customs

Coronavirus: Around 100 flights cancelled in 40 days from Chennai airport

Similarly, 62 flights have been cancelled in March.

Published: 15th March 2020 05:42 AM 

Information on flights being displayed at the Chennai airport on Saturday | Martin Louis

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: There are very few takers for the freebies airlines are offering these days. Given the current situation, nearly 100 flights have been cancelled at Chennai over the last 40 days. According to information obtained by Express, 37 flights were cancelled in February alone, which included 9 from Indigo, 6 from Malaysian Airlines, 2 from Batik Air, 2 from Singapore Airlines, 4 from Lufthansa and 14 from Cathay Pacific.

Similarly, 62 flights have been cancelled in March. These include 6 from Kuwait Airlines, 4 from Sri Lankan Airlines, 6 from Thai Airways, 29 from Indigo and 17 from Air India. After the travel ban advisory, a total of 21 services, 10 arrivals and 11 departures, have been cancelled and sources predict more cancellations. According to Chennai airport, 10 flights, including two to domestic destinations have been cancelled. Eleven departures stood cancelled. However, details pertaining to how many foreigners flew out of Chennai following deadline on visa clamp could not be gathered. 

On March 5, IATA estimated that the crisis could wipe out $113 billion of revenue. Airlines will need emergency measures to get through the crisis. “Air transport is vital, but without a lifeline from governments, we will have a sectoral financial crisis piled on top of the public health emergency,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

SCs, OBCs fear losing benefits under new scholarship plan

15/03/2020

D. Ravikumar, MP from Villupuram, who raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on Friday, found fault with the changes being mooted by the Central government. The inclusion of the criterion of merit might render “a large number of deserving Dalit students ineligible” to get the scholarship, which was, after all, being given only to those who pursued higher studies. Mr. Bharathan said that given the relative disadvantage that the SC students would be faving vis-a-vis OBC students, there was a chance of the latter eating into the share of the former. [However, as per a document of the Central government, out of the annual 62 lakh student-beneficiaries, SCs will account for 42 lakh].

“Let the Central government frame a separate scheme for OBC students. We have no objection,” he said.

While Mr. Ravikumar wants the Centre to retain the post-matric scheme and give it a higher allocation, Mr. Bharathan suggests that the State government absorb the full cost of the scheme. Even now, it has allocated about ₹1,950 crore for 2020-21 towards the scheme.

“If the outlay can be increased ₹2,000 crore, there would not be much problem,” he adds.

A senior official of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department says the State government is formulating its response to the Centre’s proposal.

COVID-19 victim cremated after initial refusal

We had to seek permission from North Delhi Municipal Corporation: authorities

15/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,NEW DELHI

The body of a 68-year-old woman from Delhi, who succumbed to COVID-19, was cremated at Nigambhod Ghat on Saturday after initially being denied permission by the crematorium, said her family.

“We reached the crematorium by 10.30 a.m., but the authorities refused to cremate the body. They said they did not have any guidelines from the Health Department about coronavirus victims. We refused to go back and had to wait for about two-and-a-half hours for the cremation,” said Sanjeev Arora, the deceased’s relative.

“There was some confusion initially and the body was later cremated at the CNG crematorium,” said Ashok Rawat, a North Delhi Municipal Corporation health officer.

The family said that the government should have made better arrangements. “The government knew about the death. We had come to the crematorium in an RML Hospital ambulance and had to wait for hours,” Mr. Arora said.

Suman Gupta, the coordinator of an NGO, which runs the crematorium, said that the delay was because they had to seek permission from the north civic body. “This was a special case and we had to seek permission. As soon as we were granted the permission, we made arrangements for the cremation,” he said.

‘Safety gears’

Mr. Rawat said that the “initial confusion” was because it is a “new disease”. “The confusion was cleared and safety precautions were also taken. Two persons from the crematorium who helped the hospital staff in the cremation were also provided headgears, goggles, gloves, and shoes,” he said.

Bizarre event

15/03/2020

Mahasabha prescription A member of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha drinking cow urine at a ‘gau mutra party’ organised by the group in New Delhi on Saturday. Swami Chakrapani, the Mahasabha chief, claimed the liquid is the “only cure” for COVID-19 .Getty Images

‘No more wait at the Vaikuntam complex’

15/03/2020,TIRUMALA

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to temporarily scrap the system of making pilgrims wait at the Vaikuntam

Queue Complex prior to  their darshan of Lord Venkateswara. 

Normally pilgrims wait between two and 10 hours at the complex. In view of the COVID threat, the TTD has decided to strictly follow the ‘time slot’ system in darshan and let in the pilgrims on an hourly basis. The new system will come into force on Tuesday. Pilgrims should report at the complex only at the time mentioned in darshan tickets.

Watermelons and tender coconuts flood market

15/03/2020, STAFF REPORTER,MADURAI

Watermelons stocked on Kamarajar Salai near Vandiyur Teppakulam in Madurai on Saturday. G. Moorthy

With rising temperature in the city over the past few days, there is a good demand for tasty and delicious watermelon, along with tender coconuts and ice apples (nungu).

The pavements in Madurai are flooded with bright green watermelons, which are sold in forms of fruits, juices and salads. A kilogram of watermelon fruit is sold between ₹ 18 and ₹25.

P. Pandi, a watermelon vendor on Melur Main Road, says that business has been brisk owing to soaring temperature.

“Over the past two days, we have sold around 750 kg of melons,” he says. He adds that most of Madurai’s melon flow comes from Tindivanam in addition to a special variety of melons from Bengaluru which is small and has a pink interior.

Also, in order to quench their thirst due to scorching sun, customers make a beeline to spots where tender coconuts are sold. They are sold between ₹25 and ₹60 depending on the size.

The nuts are usually brought from Pollachi for their superior taste.

There is a huge patronage for tender coconuts despite being sold at higher cost, says N. Kathiresan, a vendor. He says that due to higher demand he could sell 100 additional tender coconuts each day over the last week.

S. Kathiravel, a marketing professional who travels throughout the city, says that he takes at least three breaks during a day to avoid dehydration.

“I make sure that I either eat a piece of watermelon or drink tender coconut water during each break to regain energy,” he says. The sales of another summer favourite, the tasty ice apples, have also started picking up in the city.

While a piece of ice apple is sold around ₹ 7, each mug of palmyrah fruit juice is sold at ₹10.

B. Muthumani, a vendor from Tenkasi district, says that a group of sellers from his place commutes to Madurai to sell ice apples for the past week.

“Due to good rains, we were able to harvest our yield early this year. As the season progresses more hawkers will sell their produce ,” he says.

Late night food delivery options at restaurants on the rise

We see some change in the regular mindset of people: restaurateurs

15/03/2020, P.A. NARAYANI ,SANJANA GANESHMADURAI

Preparation of late dinner at a hotel in Madurai. G. Moorthy

Restaurants in Madurai are seeing an overall spurt in people dining out and ordering food late at night. With Tamil Nadu government permitting shops and commercial establishments employing over 10 people to stay open for 24 hours, restaurateurs say that they are starting to see some change in the regular mindset of people.

Proprietor of the Temple City hotel K.L. Kumar who has opened the city’s first 24*7 restaurant, says that though Madurai has carried the tag of ‘Thoonga Nagaram’ for years, there have been no fully-functional restaurants serving food beyond 11 p.m.

“Since our restaurant is located opposite the bus stand in Mattuthavani, there are a lot of customers who stop over for food at odd hours. The aim is to ensure that they have a dine-in option,” he says.

R. Manohar, who manages Bismi Biriyani, a popular take-away shop, says that there has been a tremendous rise in the number of late-night delivery options. They have even established a separate wing just to cater to their online deliveries.

“Although we close our orders by 12 a.m., there is a rush of orders between 10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m. We get at least 50 orders on weekdays. The numbers are definitely higher on weekends,” he says.

B. Muthumani, a delivery boy, says that currently food delivery apps close orders by 12 a.m.

“But, in other metropolitan cities, including Chennai, orders are accepted till 3 a.m. So, if more restaurants are open late at night, then such an option can be extended in Madurai too,” he says.

A worker at Mukku Kadai K. Subbu restaurant says that their restaurant is quite crowded even till 1 a.m. At Dindigul Thalappakatti biriyani, food is served until 2 a.m., they say.

Despite this change, most restaurants, however, say that they are hesitant about opening shop all night. Mr. Manohar says that they have limited staff who need to come back early the next day to begin preparations for the next day’s sale.

“The number of staff tends to be unreliable. We cannot gamble,” he says.

A source from Mukku Kadai K. Subbu says that there is a drop in the number of clients who visit post 12.30 a.m. “There are very few people who really venture out too late. It is not part of the culture,” he says.

M.P. Murugappan, who helps run a registered push-cart stall near Mattuthavani’s fruit market, says that those who are used to the late night culture are vendors, labourers and truck drivers who stop and eat at pushcarts.

This is the same case near Simmakkal and Arapalayam too and adds that it is the pride of the city but is not preferred by many. “Most places do not have tables or a sit-down option. We also just serve basic tiffin items. The number of dishes is limited,” he says.

Mr. Kumar agrees and says that it is time for people to make use of options and for more restaurants to open up so that trust is built both ways.

“Only if more restaurants open, can more people venture out. Only if more venture out, will the streets become safer and normal. It works both ways,” he says.

GST on mobile phones hiked to 18%

15/03/2020

Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman at India Cellular & Electronics Association, said the move to increase GST by 6% would be detrimental to the vision of Digital India.

“Consumption will be stymied and our domestic consumption target of ₹6 lakh crores by 2025 will fall short by at least ₹2 lakh crores,” he said.

In a letter to the Finance Minister earlier this week, Mr. Mahindroo said that instead of rationalising the GST on components and inputs, the “bizzare” move to increase the rate on the final product was not in the interest of consumers as well as the industry.

On the calibration of rates for other items where similar problems arise, such as footwear, textiles and fertilizers, Ms. Sitharaman said that after a detailed discussion it was decided to take up the matter at future meetings.

The GST rate on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in respect of aircraft has been reduced from 18% to 5% with a full input tax credit.

“This change is likely to assist in setting up of MRO services in India,” she said at a press conference after the meeting.

COVID-19: air travellers feel the heat

Passengers are forced to reschedule their flights at higher prices

15/03/2020, JAGRITI CHANDRA,NEW DELHI

In dire straits Passengers wearing masks at Patna airport on Saturday. Ranjeet Kumar

Travellers forced to cancel flights after the government’s advisory against non-essential travel have been left in the lurch, as most airlines have offered full refund only for travel to countries for which there is an outright ban.

In many cases, while the airlines have waived re-booking fees, travel agents and aggregators have either failed to pass on the benefit to passengers or such travellers are forced to reschedule flights at a higher price.

On Wednesday, the government cancelled visas for all foreign citizens and mandated quarantine for Indians returning from China, Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany and Republic of Korea. It advised all Indians against non-essential travel, adding that they could be quarantined for 14 days on their return.

Twenty-two year old Anandita Abhay Bhalerao was scheduled to fly to Paris for a backpacking trip from Mumbai on Friday by Kuwait Airways.

However, her flight was cancelled after Kuwait banned the entry of nationals from several countries, including India.

Despite the cancellation by the airline, the Mumbai-based writer was offered only a free date change.

Determined to join her friends, Ms Bhalerao then booked a ticket on Gulf Air for ₹39,000 which she was forced to cancel following the government’s advisory and received only half the fare as a refund.

“I booked both my tickets through Make My Trip (MMT). When Kuwait Airways cancelled the ticket, MMT said they were helpless and I will have to contact the airline. The airline offered only a date change, but that is not an option for me as I was travelling to celebrate my sister’s birthday and also because there is no clarity on how long the COVID-19 infection will continue,” Ms. Bhalerao told The Hindu over the phone. A communications professional, Durga Nandini, was booked for travel to Vietnam on Malaysia Airlines between April 2 to 12.

Following the government’s advisory, the mother of a four-year-old is apprehensive about travelling. Though the airline allows her to change the date of her travel for free unlimited times until December 31, according to Make My Trip's website Ms. Durga will have to cough up ₹5,220 per ticket as penalty for rebooking. Alternatively, she will have to cancel her travel and bear the entire loss.

“I am a mother of a four-year-old and travelling for me is not an option because of the fear about COVID-19. Medical experts have argued that it may take upto 18 months to develop a vaccine and, therefore, I don't want to take the risk of travelling in the next eight months. But my airline allows me to reschedule only until the end of the year,” says Ms. Durga. “For regions where airlines have cancelled existing and new flights, we are offering 100% refund to our customers,” she said, adding: “We are working in tandem with our airline partners to offer an option to change travel dates with no-fee charge; and are passing full fee waiver benefits rolled out by our partners to travellers,” Make My Trip said in an email response to queries.

Third-party vendors

A senior DGCA official told The Hindu that the regulatory body had met with several international carriers, including Malaysia Airlines on Friday, and advised them to waive cancellation and rescheduling charges.

“We have also received many complaints about travel aggregators and we have asked airlines to ensure that their third party vendors implement waivers offered in toto,” the official said.

COVID-19 declared a notified disease

The State’s fourth testing facility has come up in Tirunelveli

15/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The State government has declared COVID-19 a notified disease under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.

“The World Health Organisation has declared COVID-19 a pandemic. While the government is taking preventive measures, declaring it a notified disease under the Public Health Act means delegating more powers to health officials and taking stringent measures to control the infection. Now, if a person with symptoms of COVID-19 approaches a private practitioner/hospital, they should immediately notify the public health authorities,” said K. Senthil Raj, mission director, National Health Mission-Tamil Nadu. He added that they should notify the Deputy Director of Health Services of the respective district or the municipal health officials who, in turn, would take measures to isolate the patient and prevent further transmission. “This is important to prevent transmission in the community,” he said.

Another testing laboratory has been readied in the State - at Tirunelveli. With this, Tamil Nadu has a total of four testing facilities, the others being King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Guindy, and government medical colleges at Theni and Tiruvarur.

According to a bulletin issued by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, seven persons were under hospital isolation and 1,601 under home quarantine in the State. Two nasal and throat swabs and blood samples were being processed.

Role of pvt. hospitals in handling COVID-19 remains unclear

IMA to hold State council meeting today to discuss the issue

15/03/2020, SERENA JOSEPHINE M.,CHENNAI

Many private hospitals in the city have said there is no clarity about their role in handling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This is despite the State Health department announcing that it had held meetings with representatives of private hospitals and the Indian Medical Association, and that treatment protocols had been shared with them.

C.N. Raja, State president, Indian Medical Association - Tamil Nadu branch, said, “Private hospitals have not prepared isolation facilities so far. IMA is having a State council meeting on Sunday, and we will be discussing COVID-19, how we can handle [it], and cooperate with the government.”

In response to queries on their preparedness, at least three major private hospitals said that as per the Central government’s instructions, they are not supposed to divulge any information. A few said they had earmarked isolation facilities, while some doctors said they were told not to treat patients with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 but refer them to government hospitals. Many doctors said no proper guidelines or information had reached them. A doctor at a private hospital in Tambaram took to social media to air his concerns. The hospital, he said, had been receiving patients with classic symptoms of COVID-19 and travel history to the Middle East for the last two weeks. “We called the helpline numbers. They said they do not check persons with minor symptoms. The patients were sent home,” he said.

A senior consultant said suspected COVID-19 patients had been referred to the government hospital. “At the GH, they were not screened or tested. The government should test at least suspected patients,” she said.

Navin Gnanasekaran, associate director of medical services, MGM Healthcare, said they had identified an appropriate area for the isolation of patients with suspected/confirmed COVID-19, and were ready to attend to in-patients. He added that as of now, the government had directed healthcare professionals to identify patients with symptoms of cold/cough or fever and determine their travel history or contact with patients who had tested positive for the virus. In case of suspicion after assessment, they will call the government hotline, and based on the advice they receive, the patient will be sent home for quarantine or referred to the government in-patient admission facility.

A senior official of a corporate hospital said, “There are certain areas of concern. The lack of testing kits is one.” “We have procured about 5,000 full body suits, protective gear, long shoe covers and goggles. But if 10 to 15 patients come in, these will be exhausted within a week,” he said.

Opening of arrival hall at airport terminal put off

AAI cites COVID-19 concerns

15/03/2020, SUNITHA SEKAR,CHENNAI

The hall has been lying unused since its inauguration in 2013.

The opening of the arrival hall at the international terminal of the Chennai airport has been put off temporarily due to the COVID-19 situation, said sources.

The hall has been lying unused ever since it was inaugurated way back in 2013, as part of phase I modernisation of the Chennai airport. It was never put to use, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) claiming that it could not be used due to insufficient manpower in both Immigration and Customs. It was later decided that the hall would be used for departure operations, but even this has been getting delayed for several months now.

Recently, AAI officials had decided that operations would finally begin by mid-March.

‘No point now’

AAI officials said that they had to postpone starting operations at the hall due to the existing circumstances created by COVID-19.

“Even now, we are prepared for it, but immigration authorities are not in favour of implementing it now due to concerns regarding COVID-19. But even otherwise, starting operations now doesn’t really help much because the point of operating the hall was to augment capacity of the departure hall at the international terminal, to ease peak-hour congestion. Now, both aircraft movement and passenger traffic have fallen drastically, and those travelling can just go through the existing departure hall itself,” an official said.

In the last two weeks, over 90 flights have been cancelled due to the impact of COVID-19. On Saturday too, several flights to various destinations like Dubai, Colombo, Muscat, Kuala Lumpur and Kuwait were cancelled. Such cancellations are going to continue in the coming days and the number is likely to increase, he added.

I-T Dept. shocked by Tasmac’s acceptance of banned notes

Dismisses State undertaking’s explanation of law and order as reason for accepting invalid notes

15/03/2020, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

The I-T Department has sought tax for ₹57.29 crore in unexplained investment.

The Income Tax Department has expressed shock at the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac) having accepted demonetised currency notes worth ₹57.29 crore from customers between November 9 and December 30, 2016, in contravention of the demonetisation announcement made by the Prime Minister on November 8, 2016.

After scrutinising the Corporation’s I-T returns for the year 2016-17, the department found that it had an opening balance of ₹84.23 crore as on November 9, 2016. Of that balance, ₹81.57 crore was in Specified Bank Notes (SBN or demonetised currency notes of ₹500 and ₹1,000) and ₹2.66 crore in other denominations.

Subsequently, Tasmac had collected ₹3,490.21 crore between November 10 and December 30, 2016, and the collections were deposited in bank accounts on a daily basis. Records showed that the Corporation had deposited about ₹140 crore in demonetised notes during the entire demonetisation period. After deducting the initial ₹81.57 crore, the balance worked out to ₹57.29 crore.

“The assessee is a government-owned State undertaking and it is beyond imagination how the State undertaking, managed by an IAS officer, would collect demonetised currency in contravention of the order of the Government of India,” the I-T department said in an Assessment Order passed on December 30, 2019, and accessed by The Hindu.

“Though assessee claimed that it accepted SBN from customers due to law and order problems, the assessee has failed to produce any evidence from Government of Tamil Nadu or the police evidencing any law and order issue that constrained [it] to sell non-essential commodity like liquor against invalid bank notes,” the I-T department order said.

Refusing to believe that illegal transactions could have been carried out by a State entity and since Tasmac did not provide branch-wise details of deposited demonetised notes, the I-T department said the transactions using demonetised notes should be treated as “unexplained investment,” for 2017-18.

Besides demanding tax for the unexplained investment of ₹57.29 crore, the department ordered proceedings against Tasmac.

Indian-origin students abroad grapple with rising uncertainty

Students Looking For Accommodation Amid Travel Restrictions

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai:15.03.2020

Indian students abroad who are being encouraged to move out from universities’ halls of residences are largely looking for accommodation locally and preferring to stay put rather than flying out. Help has come from unexpected quarters and in the time and age of social media, friends, family and even strangers are offering a couch and a meal. But not everyone is lucky. Stuck in cities that are completely locked out, many are homesick and waiting to return.

Residential and travel restrictions imposed across several universities in the US saw unsure Indian origin students grappling with fast-paced changes. Labelling their furniture and moving them to large common storage rooms, returning their keys and suddenly hunting for a space to live in has not been easy on them.

Amidst all that, hope and help has come from Indians in the USA. Ashok Kolla, chairman TEAM Square of the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), said, “We have helped 24 students find accommodation after their universities asked them to leave campus. These include students from Ohio, Atlanta and California.” Kolla added that the stranded students had been put up at motels run by Indians free of cost. Also, a few Indian families have come forward to take them home.

A graduate student from Bengaluru, who is currently pursuing a certificate in advance management course to get into an MBA programme at Babson College, Wellesley, Boston, confirmed that international students had been asked to leave campus. “I live outside campus and hence, was not affected.”

Rao Maddukkuri, whose son Akhil is in the third year of his undergraduate course in management sciences engineering at Stanford University, said officials had advised international students to leave, but those who could not were being allowed to stay on.

Kolkata-based Dr Sabyasachi Mitra, whose son studies computer engineering with Maths honours at Purdue University, is very anxious. “My son, Rishi, wanted to return. However, I asked him to stay back. The health infrastructure there would be better geared to fight this outbreak. Coming on a flight and going through airports will make him more risk-prone.”

Delta is temporarily suspending service between JFK and Mumbai from next Tuesday. The last flight from JFK to Mumbai will operate on Saturday (March 14). The last flight from Mumbai to JFK will operate on Monday (March16),” the airline said.

Full report on www.toi.in

STUCK: A student carries a box to her dorm at Harvard University, after the school asked its students not to return to campus after spring break and said it would move to virtual instruction for classes

Complaints against food apps up 100%

Fury Over Poor Quality Of Food

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:15.03,2020

Complaints over food quality and hygiene standards against online food ordering and delivery platforms look set to double during the current financial year with 1,955 grievances lodged between April 2019 and January 2020, as against 1,053 during the 2018-19 fiscal year.

The consumer affairs ministry recently gave the details of complaints in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha. The complaints were registered through the National Consumer Helpline set up by the government.

The ministry said online food ordering and delivery services have increased during the last three years. “Some instances of sale of sub-standard food being delivered through online food delivery service platforms have come to notice of FSSAI. Whenever any [such] instance is received, the same is taken up with the commissioner of food safety of states/UTs. The Food Safety and Standards Act and Rules & Regulations framed thereunder have provisions to ensure food quality and hygiene,” the ministry said.

The details accessed from NCH show that one-fourth of the 5.65 lakh complaints registered till January this year were related to e-commerce. In response to another question in the RS in December last year, the consumer affairs ministry had said that the top five companies against whom the maximum complaints were registered between April and September 2019 included two major ecommerce firms — Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd and Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd. The other three companies were from the telecom sector — Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone.

NCH data also show that as high as 18% of the complaints against e-commerce firms between April 2019 and January 2020 were related to no refund of paid amount and in 12% cases of wrong goods being delivered. Non-delivery or delay in delivery of products comprised nearly 21% of the complaints.

According to an official report, the maximum complaints were received from UP (14%), followed by Maharashtra (13%) and Delhi (11%).

Passengers avoid trains as neighbouring states shut down

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.03.2020

As governments in Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana have declared a near shutdown to check spread of Covid-19, people have started to defer travel. Trains from Chennai to Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram have low patronage for this weekend and the coming weeks.

Seats are available for the next few days to the three cities which otherwise see a huge rush. Usually, all trains are on waitlist for 24 hours advance booking and sometimes there is a regret waitlist notification on the online site.

But all of next week, Brindavan Express, on the Chennai-Bengaluru route, has 934 to 1,000 seats available on second sitting. Shatabdi Express that departs at 6am has more than 600 seats available on AC chair car on weekdays and weekends in the coming week. Similar is the situation for trains to Hyderabad. Chennai-Hyderabad Kacheguda Express has 71 seats available for booking on AC III tier on March 16. B Rema, who was planning a trip to Thiruvananthapuram, has decided to put it off because of the checks. “The district authorities there have asked people not to step out unless it is unavoidable. My relative has told me that not many autos are plying,” she said.

A railway official said the availability of seats in airconditioned class show people are hesitating to travel. “The demand for berths is high at least during weekends to these towns because there are many who travel on weekends and book tickets in advance.”

Sleeper coaches have some demand unlike the airconditioned coaches but the tickets are not getting sold as quick as it should be at this time, said an official.

However, a senior official said “seats are likely to get filled in the coming days. Seats often gets filled slowly only in this season because of exams. “The travel picks up by mid April,” he said.

As a measure to contain spread of Covid-19, South Central Railway has issued an order saying they will not issue woollen blankets to passengers in airconditioned coaches, unless people ask for it. Passengers will be given sheets and a pillow. Railways is also taking steps to disinfect trains after every trip in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus.

Overloaded share auto overturns, 1 dead, 4 injured

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:15.03.2020

One passenger died and four others sustained injuries after the share autorickshaw they were travelling in overturned on OMR on Friday.

The overloaded share autorickshaw was plying from Kandanchavadi to Madhya Kailash carrying 12 people including the driver.

The driver lost control and the vehicle hit a median on Rajiv Gandhi Salai at Taramani.

Police have identified the deceased as V Moorthy, 57, of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. The incident happened around 11pm and when auto driver Manikandan, 29, of Tsunami Colony, Semmancherry, was carrying the auto with as many as 11 passengers to Madhya Kailash from Kandhanchavadi. Most of the passengers are employees of a catering firm at Kandanchavadi. They boarded the auto from a wedding hall in the area, police said.

When the auto reached the traffic signal at SRP Tools bus stop, Manikandan lost the control of the vehicle leading to the accident. While Moorthy died on the spot and Manikandan suffered injuries on the head.

Some of the other passengers were Desikan, 44, Shanmugam, 34, and Murugesan, 39, and have been admitted at Royapettah Government Hospital. The Guindy traffic investigation wing police have registered a case and further investigation is on.

How Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong contained the virus

15.03.2020 TOI 

Covid-19 is spreading unabated across Europe and the US, but some of the outbreaks in Asia have either been brought under control or been avoided at larger scales entirely. Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong are examples of the latter.

In a New York Times opinion piece, epidemiologist Benjamin J Cowling and graduate student in epidemiology Wey Wen Lim, both from the University of Hong Kong explained how these countries contained the virus.

None of these regions has had to employ particularly drastic or draconian measures, like China did, to control the outbreak but have managed to contain the spread nevertheless. China’s methods, though hailed as effective, were criticised for impinging on individual rights.

Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan are more instructive examples for other democracies attempting to control Covid-19.

As of March 14, Hong Kong reported 140 cases and 4 deaths, Singapore 200 cases and no deaths, and Taiwan 53 cases and one death. The containment in these countries is particularly noteworthy as they are popular destinations from mainland China for the Lunar New Year, during which the virus was spread across the Asia Pacific region by travellers.

Since the first cases were identified — all originating in China — local governments sprung into action. A combination of travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing and heightened hygiene were implemented in each country. All three countries have relatively small populations, the largest being Taiwan at 23.6 million, and are geographically rather isolated — Taiwan and Singapore are islands and Hong Kong shares a narrow border with China. These factors aided in controlling the outbreak.

Singapore was the first country to cancel all flights from Wuhan and begin isolating ill travelers immediately after China announced the outbreak. Three university hostels were converted into quarantine facilities and people were compensated for any workdays lost.

Officials then began aggressively tracing all contacts of known infected people, using data from transport companies, hotels and CCTV footage.

Though large gatherings have been suspended, schools and offices have remained open to limit the outbreak’s social and economic costs. However, all students and employees undergo daily health checks and temperature screenings.

Taiwan employed similar measures but didn’t ban all flights from affected regions. Instead, it screened passengers on the planes after landing. It later halted flights from Wuhan and other parts of China after its first imported case.

Taiwan also used home quarantines more extensively than others despite availability of quarantining at state facilities. Disobeying quarantine orders also drew a penalty of up to Rs 25 lakh. Mass gatherings and religious services were banned and all schools’ Lunar New Year holidays were extended until February 25.

Just over half of Taiwan’s cases came from local transmissions, a much lower figure than many other affected countries, which illustrates the success of Taiwan’s containment measures.

Hong Kong followed a different approach, in part due to its physical border with China — about 3 lakh people cross it daily. Hong Kong’s strategy focused on limiting local transmission rather than preventing infected people from entering.

After the first case was declared in Wuhan, Hong Kong expanded its existing temperature screening facilities at entry points and asked local clinics to report any patient showing symptoms and with a travel history from Wuhan. Travel restrictions were only placed five days after Hong Kong’s first case was reported. After February 5, all those crossing the border from China were placed under mandatory 14-day quarantines.Vacant, newly constructed public housing buildings were converted into quarantine facilities. More than 24,700 are still in quarantine.

Hong Kong’s social distancing measure were extensive — large-scale events were cancelled, schools were closed until April, and civil servants have been asked to work from home for a month.

Though containing the disease in these countries often came with a social and economic cost, their methods proved effective in stemming the spread of the virus without severely curtailing personal freedoms. With no clear end to the outbreak in sight, other democracies should look to these regions as examples.

FEVER CLINICS HELPED IN CHINA

In an interview with MSNBC, Donald McNeil, an NYT science and health reporter, talked about China’s approach to containing the epidemic.

The focus in China, McNeil said, was to identify all the people displaying symptoms. Despite the lockdown, China did not encourage home quarantines. The objective was to limit spread through family clusters. This was done by checking people’s temperatures at entrances of residential areas or public spaces. If a person was found with a fever, they were sent to fever clinics, which are separate sections of hospitals. Here, people are checked for other symptoms, and are asked to undergo a white blood cell count and a flu test. If these tests don’t clear the person, they undergo an expedited CT scan. A positive result for the scan is followed by a PCR test, which is a nasal swab. People with suspected or mild cases were taken to isolation camps. Only severe cases were hospitalised. This system broke the chain of transmission and prevented overburdening of hospitals.

பாடல் பயணம் 40: அதுவொரு பொன்மாலைப் பொழுது!

ஆர்.சி.ஜெயந்தன்

பள்ளிக் காலத் தமிழாசிரியர்களை ஆண் தேவதைகள் என்று நினைத்துக்கொள்வேன். ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் ஒரு வரம் தருவதைப் போல் அன்றைய பாடத்துக்கு வெளியே, அவர்களிடம் ஒரு புதிய செய்தியோ கதையோ கவிதையோ இருக்கும்.

அன்று, “உங்களில் எத்தனை பேர் வானத்தில் மிதந்துசெல்லும் மேகங்களில் உருவங்களைப் பார்த்திருக்கிறீர்கள்?’ என்ற கேள்வியோடு தொடங்கினார் சுப்பையா வாத்தியார். எனதருகில் அமரும் நண்பன் கோவிந்தராஜ் முந்திக்கொண்டு ‘ஐய்யனாரப்பன் அரிவாளுடன் குதிரையில் செல்வதைப் பார்த்திருக்கிறேன்’ என்றான்.

பத்தாம் வகுப்பு ‘அ’ பிரிவு சிரிப்பலையில் அதிர்ந்தது. வாத்து, நாய், ஆடு, மாட்டு வண்டி தொடங்கி ஒவ்வொருவரும் மேகங்களில் தங்களது கண்டுபிடிப்புகளைச் சொல்லிக் கொண்டுவந்தார்கள். நான் ஆவலுடன் எதிர்பார்த்திருந்த ஜெயசுதாவின் முறை வந்தபோது ‘நகரும் கடல் அலைகள்’ என்றாள். வகுப்பில் இரண்டு நொடி மௌனம். ‘எல்லோரும் கைதட்டுங்கள்’ என்றார் ஆசிரியர். அந்தப் பாராட்டுதலில் ஜெயசுதாவின் முகம் செங்கொடிபோல் சிவந்துபோனது.

“இதுதான் கற்பனாவாதம். ஆங்கிலத்தில் ரொமாண்டிசிசம் என்று சொல்லுவார்கள். கற்பனாவாதத்தை தூக்கிப்பிடித்த வானம்பாடி புதுக்கவிதை இயக்கம் பற்றி இன்று நாம் பார்ப்போம். உங்களில் எத்தனை பேருக்கு வைரமுத்துவைத் தெரியும்... கையைத் தூக்குங்கள்...” என்றபோது முதல் வரிசையில் அமர்ந்திருந்த நான் உட்பட அந்த அறையிலிருந்த 30 மாணவர்களில் பாதிப் பேர் உற்சாகமாகக் கையைத் தூக்கியிருந்தோம்.

‘உனக்குப் பிடித்த வைரமுத்துவின் பாடல் எது?’ என்று முதலில் என் பக்கம் திரும்பினார். கொஞ்சமும் யோசிக்காமல் ‘எரிமலை எப்படிப் பொறுக்கும் - நம் நெருப்புக்கு இன்னுமா உறக்கம்’ என்றேன். ‘அருமை.. அதை இங்கே வந்து பாடிக் காட்டு’ என்றார். எனக்கு எந்தத் தயக்கமும் இருக்கவில்லை. ஆசிரியர் அமர்ந்திருக்கும் சிமெண்ட் மேடை மீது ஏறி நின்று உரத்த குரலில் பாடத் தொடங்கினேன்.

‘ரத்தம் இங்கே வேர்வையாகச்

சொட்டிவிட்டது; உயிர் வற்றிவிட்டது

சட்டம் வந்து ஊமைக் கையைக்

கட்டிவிட்டது; கண்ணீர் சுட்டுவிட்டது’ என்று முதல் சரணம் கடந்து...

‘காலம் புரண்டு படுக்கும் - நம்

கண்ணீர் துளியைத் துடைக்கும்’

என்பதுவரை நான் பாடி நிறுத்தியபோது மாணவர்களோடு ஆசிரியரும் இணைந்து கைதட்டினார். கை உயர்த்தாத மாணவர்கள் இப்போது ‘இந்தப் பாடல் எங்களுக்கும் தெரியுமே’ என்றார்கள்.

கீழத்தஞ்சை மாவட்டத்தின் பொதுவுடைமைக் கட்சிப் பொதுக்கூட்டங்களில் அன்று அதிகம் ஒலித்த பாடல் இதுதான். புனல் வடிவ ஒலிபெருக்கியில் கேட்டுக் கேட்டு மொத்தப் பாடலும் மனப்பாடம் ஆனதற்கு இசையும் டி.எம்.எஸ்ஸின் குரலும் மட்டுமே காரணமல்ல; கண்முன்னால் பார்த்த ஏழை விவசாயத் தொழிலாளர்களின் விளிம்புநிலை வாழ்க்கையை வெளிச்சம்போட்டுக் காட்டிய வைரமுத்துவின் வரிகளுக்கே அதில் அதிகப் பங்கிருந்தது.

கவிஞன் எனும் ஞானி

ஒரு மாணவன் சிறப்பாகப் பாடிவிட்டான் என்று நினைத்தாரோ என்னவோ, அந்த வகுப்பில் எஸ்.பி.பியாகக் குரல் மாறினார் எங்கள் தமிழாசிரியர். ‘இதுவொரு பொன்மாலைப் பொழுது’ எனச் சின்னச் சின்ன சங்கதிகளுடன் அவர் பாடப் பாட, அந்தக் கடைசி பாடவேளையில் பக்கத்து வகுப்பில் ‘சந்திரகுப்த மௌரியரின் பொற்காலம்’ குறித்துப் பாடம் எடுத்துக்கொண்டிருந்த நிர்மலா டீச்சர், வகுப்பை அப்படியே பாதியில் விட்டுவிட்டு எங்கள் வகுப்பின் ஜன்னல் அருகில் ஓசைப் படாமல் வந்து நின்று சுப்பையா வாத்தியார் பாடுவதை ரசித்துக்கொண்டிருந்ததைக் கவனித்தேன்.

‘வானம் எனக்கொரு போதிமரம்

நாளும் எனக்கது சேதி தரும்’

என்ற வரிகளுடன் பாடுவதை நிறுத்திய அவர்,

“இயற்கையை ஆழமாக உற்று நோக்குகிறவன் ஞானி மட்டுமல்ல; கவிஞனும்தான். அப்படி நோக்கும்போது, எத்தனை அழகான ஓவியங்களைத் தன் வார்த்தைகளால் வரைந்து காட்டுகிறான் பாருங்கள். நான் உங்களிடம் வானில் நகரும் மேகங்களில் உங்கள் கண்களுக்குத் தெரிந்த உருவங்கள் என்ன என்று கேட்டேன்.

ஒவ்வொருவரும் ஒவ்வொன்றைக் கூறினீர்கள். ஆனால் எல்லோரும் வைரமுத்து ஆகிவிட முடியாதல்லவா? ‘வானத்தை ஒரு பெண்ணாக உருவகப்படுத்திய கவிஞன், அவள் வெட்கப்பட்டதால் பொழுது மாறுகிறது, அவள் மாலை நேரம் எனும் மற்றோர் உடையை அணிந்து கொள்கிறாள்’ என்று எழுத எத்தனை ரசனை தேவை. ரசனைதான் கற்பனை எனும் குதிரைக்குச் சாரதி” என்றவர், ‘வானமகள் நாணுகிறாள்... வேறு உடை பூணுகிறாள்’ என்ற இருவரியை மீண்டும் பாடிக் காட்டிவிட்டுத் தொடர்ந்தார்.

பாடல் வேளை

“வானம்பாடி கவிஞர்களைப் பார்த்து மிகை உணர்ச்சியில் திளைத்து, தன்வயம் பொங்க எழுதுகிறவர்கள் என்று கிண்டலாகக் கூறும் கவிஞர்கள் இன்று வந்துவிட்டார்கள். ஆனால், அதற்கும் அப்பால், கவிதையின் அழகுணர்வை, அதில் எழும் காட்சி வழியான கலை உணர்வை எளிய வரிகளில் எழுதி வரும் வைரமுத்து திரைப் பாடல்களுக்கும் புதுக்கவிதைக்குமான இடைவெளியை இல்லாமல் செய்துவிட்ட மகா கவிஞன்” என்று பேசிக்கொண்டே போனார்.

அப்போது, மன்னார்குடி சாந்தி திரையரங்கில் பாலுமகேந்திராவின் ‘நீங்கள் கேட்டவை’ வெளியாகி 25 நாட்களைக் கடந்து ஓடிக்கொண்டிருந்தது. பாட்டுப் போட்டிகளுக்கு எப்போதும் முதல் ஆளாகப் பெயர் கொடுக்கும் காயத்ரி, “சார் ‘பிள்ளை நிலா’ வைரமுத்து பாட்டுதான் பாடட்டுமா” என்றாள். “என்ன கேள்வி.. ஓடி வா” என்றார். பதின்மமும் பருவமும் சந்தித்துக்கொண்ட புள்ளியிலிருந்து கூவும் ஒரு வசந்தகாலக் குயிலைப் போல...

‘பிள்ளை நிலா.. இரண்டும் வெள்ளை நிலா’ என்று காயத்ரி பாட... மொத்த வகுப்பறையும் ‘லல்லல்லா...’ என்று ஒருமித்து சேர்ந்திசைக் குழுவாக மாறி கோரஸ் பாடியபோது பாட்டு வேளையாக இருந்த அந்த இறுதிப் பாட வேளையின் நேரம் முடிந்து, பள்ளி மணி அடித்ததில் 30 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முந்தைய அந்தப் பொன்மாலைப் பொழுது காயத்ரிக்கான கைதட்டலோடு முடிந்து போனது. ஆனால், மூன்று தலைமுறை இயக்குநர்கள், இசையமைப்பாளர்களுடன் பணிபுரிந்து 7,500 பாடல்களைக் கடந்து எழுதிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார் வைரமுத்து.

வானம்பாடி எனும் வட்டத்தை மீறி எழுந்த அவருடைய திரைப்பாடல்களில் இல்லாத மொழி நயமோ கற்பனையோ நவீனமோ இல்லை என்று கூறும் அளவுக்கு உணர்வுகளின் தூரிகையாய் அழகியலும் அறிவியலும் பின்னிப் பிணைந்து கிடப்பதில் அவற்றை திரைக் கவிதை இலக்கியமாகத் துணிந்து கௌரவம் செய்துவிடலாம்.

“என்னை விடச் சிறப்பாக வைரமுத்து எழுதுகிறார். வசியப்படுத்தும் வார்த்தைகளால் திரையுலகை அவர் ஆட்டிவைக்கிறார். என்னால் அது இயலாது. அவர் இந்தியில் எழுத வந்தால் என்னவாகும் என்ற கற்பனையே எனக்கு அச்சம் தருகிறது” என்று இந்திக் கவிஞர் குல்சார் மனதாரப் பாராட்டியதும், “வைரமுத்துவின் சிந்தனைகளை இந்தியில் மொழிபெயர்ப்பது மிகவும் கடினமான ஒன்று.

அவ்வளவு உயரத்தில் அவர் சிந்திக்கிறார்”என்று இந்திப் பாடலாசிரியர் ஜாவேத் அக்தர் மானசீகமாகக் கூறியதும் வைரமுத்து மொழிகளைக் கடந்த பாடலாசிரியர் என்பதற்கான சாட்சியங்கள். ‘நிழல்கள்’ படத்தில் ‘பொன்மாலைப் பொழுதாகப்’ புறப்பட்ட வைரமுத்துவின் பாடல் பயணம் 40 ஆண்டுகளைக் கடந்து திசையெட்டும் விரிந்துகொண்டிருக்கிறது.

தொடர்புக்கு:jesudoss.c@hindutamil.co.in

படங்கள் உதவி: ஞானம்